Tyler Gillum

For Tyler Gillum, baseball has always been more than just a game—it's where he found his "greatest happiness." Tyler grew up watching his cousin win state championships at Latta High School in Ada, and decided he wanted to do the same thing. His passion led him to attend some of the first Chickasaw baseball camps, where he learned the fundamentals from many of the top baseball coaches in the country. When it was Tyler's turn to play at Latta High School, he helped win four state championships and realized his dream of becoming a baseball coach. But that was just the beginning of Tyler's baseball career.

From high school in Ada, he went on to play baseball at Seminole State Junior College, finishing his degree and college playing career at East Central University. Not only did the Nation's resources help Tyler through college, but also the Chickasaw Nation's values that he's taken with him throughout his life. "I'm so proud of my Chickasaw heritage. The core values, the mission of impacting as many people as possible, the servant leadership, the perseverance, the teamwork. I think I've adopted that into my life."

Today, Tyler's coaching dreams are realized as he travels the country as head coach for the Savannah Bananas, a team creating a one-of-a-kind, fans-first baseball experience. As he navigates the unscripted play, choreographed dances, unparalleled success and much more, Tyler never forgets his roots and where he came from. To honor his father's bull riding history, he wears cowboy boots to games and a 66 on his jersey to remember his family ranch in Oklahoma.

Looking toward the future, Tyler hopes to continue impacting as many people as possible. "There's wins and losses, but at the end of the day, people are people. And if you can help create people to be better and go into the world and impact others, that's what the most important thing is. And that's what I'd love to be known as," he says.